Russian-Mexican beef soup is obviously a holdover from the Mennonites’ days as grain farmers in the Ukraine, with the distinctly Mexican additions of chile and tomato. The original recipe calls for the cut of beef called chamorro, or shanks, which provides a much richer taste than other cuts for soups. Use bone-in beef shanks because, like the Italian oso bucco, this recipe gets a lot of its character from the marrow at the center of the crosscut shanks.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 pounds meaty, bone-in beef shanks
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 chiles de arbol or other small, dried red chiles
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 sprigs parsley
- 8 peppercorns
The humble cabbage: A Mexican cook’s loyal friend
Immigrant cooking in Mexico: The Mennonite kitchens of Chihuahua
Published or Updated on: January 1, 2007